AMG

While in Miami, we took this timeless classic for a luxurious test run.

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Story: Evan ‘Evo’ YatesPhotos: Evan ‘Evo’ Yates / Mercedes-Benz / Jordan KrateExterior: The fact that the G-Wagen’s exterior has been virtually unaltered for nearly 40 years may be frowned upon, yet I believe the G’s vintage appearance is the foundation of its appeal. I actually tend to judge a vehicle’s appearance based on its ability to stand the test of time – if it still looks cool in ten years, it’s a winner. To be brutally honest, the G63 looks like a German tank and a fancy toaster had a love child and that’s quite refreshing to me. The fact that there is still a vehicle such as this produced in the era of futuristic crossovers flooding the expressways is quite admirable. To put it in muscle-car-guy terms, it’s as if Chevy were still making second-gen Camaros in 2015 but with updated interiors and drivetrains. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Anyway, the G63’s exterior is simultaneously bold, ferocious and charming and although it’s dated, its looks are immortal. Yes, it’s covered in chrome and even though I’ve lost my taste for the bling, somehow it works on the G63. And although its aesthetics are classic in nature, the G63 still brings some new-school charm to the table with its front LED lights, blacked-out wheels and massive red brake calipers. The best thing about the exterior? You’re the strangest, coolest most unique thing on the road and that has to count for something.
Interior: One of the things I love about the G-Wagen is that it sports the signature vintage exterior while maintaining a refined interior. However, if you compare the G to other current Mercedes models, it’s actually a few years behind and can even be viewed as ‘economy’ as a couple items such as the LCD screen look aftermarket. That being said, the interior has plenty of plush amenities such as seats that are actually quite comfortable wrapped in supple, yet durable designo Black Nappa leather. And although the interior cabin takes a bit of getting used to with its vertical windows that create some interesting reflections, the interior of the G63 makes you feel like you’re the lead vehicle in some sort of combat procession or mob fleet as its militant, yet elegant at the same time.
A/V: If you’ve driven a Benz in the last few years, the electronics in the G63 are on-par with the entry-level Mercedes vehicles and nothing really jumps out as outstanding, yet everything is certainly functional. I found that the radio was very easy to operate and the harman/kardonn LOGIC7 surround sound system did quite well with the bass-laden tunes we were blasting while cruising South Beach. And again, in a vehicle such as this you aren’t expecting to be floored by a plethora of a gadgets and I actually appreciate the G more with its electronic simplicity.
Performance: To further my comparisons to an old muscle car, the G63 is a brute that hauls some serious ass in a straight line and is a little scary around curves. And like driving a muscle car, you fall in love with the acceleration and throaty exhaust so much that you put up with any driving annoyances you may experience. On city streets, the G63 can get quite bouncy at times but for the most part it drives as expected and is just fine on the highway. It would be ludicrous for anyone to discredit the G63 for its truck-like ride when there are tens of thousands of people driving around lifted trucks and loving every minute of it. Speaking of that, even though I didn’t have a chance to take it off-road (I would have loved to but I was in Miami where things are pretty flat) I think the G63 could use a little extra meat on the tires. To me, this would accomplish a few things but mainly it would look more capable and less pretty and also aid those who want to get some real use out of it. Do I think anyone out there will be spending $140k to go off-road? Not one bit, but with its three locking differentials, 560 lb-ft of torque and 4-wheel electronic traction system, the G63 certainly could.
Floss Factor: The attention a bone stock G-Wagen attracts is off the charts, even on South Beach as we experienced on every cruise. The G63 just has an aura of opulence about it while still having that hard-edge, capable presence. The G63 would have been at home parked in front of Wet Willies on Ocean Drive or traversing through the sand on the beach and somehow it looks the part regardless. I can’t reitterate enough that the G63 turns EVERY head, even in a sea of Lambos, Ferraris and Rolls. It’s just that one rare vehicle that commands your attention – or else. And as we illustrated in the last picture of our gallery from our Forgiato Fest coverage, when customizing these vehicles it can boost the appeal exponentially. With the fact that the G isn’t exactly practical, this is THE ride you cop to floss.
Damage: $138,075.00
Power: 536 hp / 560 lb-ft
0-60: 5.3 sec
Gas Cash: 13 MPG (Combined)

This little matte Mercedes packs some punch.

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Story & Photos: Evan ‘Evo’ Yates
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507 coupe is one of the most badass little two-doors on God’s green earth. The C63’s formula is pretty straightforward; cram a massive V8 into a fairly small car and add all the necessary components to keep it on the road. Mercedes did a wonderful job at making all said components work in unison to create a vehicle that performs like a track car with show car looks.
At first glance, the 507 Edition looks like a custom ride with its matte paint, aftermarket-style 19-inch wheels and custom hood. In regards to the matte paint specifically, I don’t know why more companies don’t opt to try this on their higher-end models as it adds so much to a car like this accentuating every razor sharp bodyline. The aggressive styling works so well on this beautiful Benz because it parallels the performance with perfection and its rare that the two attributes are in such harmony as one is usually lacking in vehicles like these.
In regards to performance, the 507 Edition C63 is just plain nasty. The throaty, deep exhaust note surprised me ever time I started the car and the muscle-car rumble coming from such a small car always brought a grin to my face. The beastly exhaust note remains strong throughout the power band so long as you have the balls to keep your foot on the gas. Speaking of acceleration, the only red mark in regards to the performance is the transmission. I may have had it in the wrong mode or been driving in sub-optimal conditions but there seemed to be a lag in switching gears when I planted the pedal to the floor and after high speed sessions it struggled to downshift back into the proper gear. Thankfully, the C63 AMG 507 Edition has the AMG Performance Braking System, which certainly came in handy following feats of rapid acceleration. Around corners the C63 feels like a competition go-kart, yet it’s still possible to push it too far as it likes to do a little tail-wagging at times. That being said, quickly turning out of your neighborhood may scare the crap out of everyone as you accidentally drift up the street.
The interior of the 507 Edition is attractive, sporty and definitely exudes the supercar vibe as the seats look and feel like racing buckets while upholstered in porcelain and black Nappa leather. And even though the coupe is fairly small, I was able to seat four adults (two women in the back) fairly comfortably on a short trip. The dash and multimedia system were pleasing to the eye and fairly easy to use while not being over-bearing.
And of course, all this awesomeness comes at a price. Even though the base C63 AMG coupe is a solid $62,750, the Edition 507 and all of its exterior and interior options yield a grand total of a whopping $87,885 before taxes. Is it worth the jump in price? If you’re looking for the best pound-for-pound naturally aspirated lil’ coupe in the game, I’d have to say yes.
Damage: $87,885.00
Power: 507 hp, 450 lb.-ft.
0-60: 3.8 sec
Gas Cash: 13 City, 19 Hwy
Miles Driven: 350

One of the hottest models out of Germany since Heidi Klum.

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Via Mercedes-Benz: Affalterbach. The first Mercedes was a racing car and its most recent successor carries this heritage forward. With the new Mercedes-AMG GT, the Mercedes-AMG sports car brand is moving into a new sports car segment. The GT is the second sports car developed entirely in-house by Mercedes-AMG. Its front mid-engine design with a rear transaxle and use of intelligent aluminum lightweight construction form the basis for a highly dynamic driving experience. Its newly developed AMG 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine underscores the hallmark of AMG driving performance. The first sports car engine from AMG with internally mounted turbochargers ('hot inside V') and dry sump lubrication is configured in two output ratings: as a GT with 456 hp (340 kW) and as a GT S with 503 hp (375 kW). The new GT combines driving dynamics and first-class racetrack performance with superb everyday practicality and efficiency that sets new standards in the segment.It has everything you would expect from an authentic Mercedes-AMG sports car – from the characteristic styling, thoroughbred motorsport technology to the optimum weight distribution. The drive system tailored to consistently delivering driving dynamics perfectly complements this set-up. The centerpiece of the Mercedes-AMG GT is thethe new 4.0-liter V8 biturbo, which responds instantly with extreme power at low revs and delivers outstanding performance. Top figures such as 3.7 seconds from 0-60 mph (preliminary) and a top speed of 193 mph (310 km/h), combined with the outstanding driving dynamics will undoubtedly translate into extremely fast laps on the racetrack.At the same time, this two-seater is a comfortable and reliable companion for everyday motoring thanks to its practical decklid, easily accessible luggage compartment, and high level of comfort on long journeys. It also features an extensive list of Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive assistance systems which ensure the high level of safety expected from Mercedes-AMG.
"With the new Mercedes-AMG GT, we are venturing out into a challenging sports car segment with its top-class competitive field. This is an incentive and motivation for us at the same time to prove to sports car enthusiasts around the world the kind of performance that AMG is capable of", says Prof Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development."With the new GT we are positioning Mercedes-AMG even more aggressively than to date as a dynamic sports car brand", says Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. "With its technological substance, the Mercedes-AMG GT fulfils our high aspirations with regard to driving dynamics, agility and sportiness. The new GT is the second sports car developed fully independently by Mercedes-AMG. The car is manufactured according to the motto 'Handcrafted By Racers' – which perfectly encapsulates our heritage and our spirit."

Sci-fi and sadness.

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After years of bringing smile after smile to drivers, passengers and passers-by alike, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will say goodbye. Goodnight gullwings, goodnight naturally-aspirated V8, goodnight awkward headlight treatment that never quite jelled with us but we came to accept anyway.

Just not for a while.

Difficult as it is to come to grips with, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is not going to be around much longer. The gorgeous gullwing (and rakish roadster) will leave showrooms sometime in either late 2014 or early 2015.